From piggeries to veggies…this is our story – guest post by my father and mentor, Wally Fry (CEO The Fry Family Food Co.)
From piggeries to veggies: The Movie! (click on the link at the end to watch our story)
From the very start, (back in 1991), the principle behind how we craft our food has been, and will continue to be the same: Wherever possible do no harm. This is our mantra and our guiding value.
I became a vegetarian in the late 80’s for a number of reasons. The most important of these was the obvious cruelty in factory farming and the ravages caused to our total environment by farming for meat. With a lack of protein alternatives available in the market place, and my own personal challenge to stay within the confines of this diet, I started to research and develop foods that created a healthy alternative, thus providing a solution for the breaking of the habit of meat eating, and keeping it fun, and easy. I decided to start making a solution for myself, my family, and of course, other like-minded people who saw giving up meat as a tough challenge.
I started in our kitchen, with our Kenwood mixer and a few ingredients, with Debbie, my wife, and the kids pitching in and helping wherever possible. The cornerstone of our home recipes was to use the very best ingredients to craft our foods. Thus, it was obvious from the start that MSG, food colourants, nasty chemicals, Genetically Modified ingredients, Hydrogenated fats, cholesterol, and of course absolutely any animal products in whatever form, had to be excluded from our daily development of recipes. What had to be included was a great protein value thus vindicating the argument or common question to vegetarians or vegans about “where do you get your protein”. All the while, the prime concern I had was to ensure that my own family would in every way benefit from a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. Lastly, of most crucial importance was that the food needed to taste great. Therefore, taste has no compromise in all of The Fry’s Family Food Co range of foods even to this day.
When Fry’s first reached the supermarket shelves, we decided that the same love, care and methods that we used in our kitchen would simply be up scaled without even the subtlest alterations to our home style preparation, was how we would continue to make our food. Attention to detail with absolute awareness about what would be impacted by our actions, was a prime focus.
“Through my personal choices and actions, I can help change the world” became our mantra and the mantra of our staff and many of our loyal customers.
With all of these guiding principles being our daily practice and motivation, Fry’s has become a well -known Brand in over 25 countries, proving that our bid for the above principles attracts millions of people worldwide.
We hope you enjoying watching our story:
http://www.fryfamilyfood.com/za/wallyfrysstory/